Rubber masticating machine



Sept 19, 1944. N. w. LOUSLEY `2,358,722

RUBBER MASTICATING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1942 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l Sept. 19, 1944.

N. w. LousLEY 2,358,722

RUBBER MASTICATING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Patented Sept. 19, 1944 2,358,722 RUBBER MASTIGATING lNi-arman WaylandLousley, Blackburn, England Application November 17, 1942, sensi No. 4.155.942'v 1n Great musinncvember c, 1941 l As claims. ,(cl. 25a- 10) This invention relates to rubber masticating machines in which rubber is masticated with rubber solvent to produce a homogeneous solution, and has i'or its object to provide an improved construction of machine in which the operation of mastication is very eiliciently performed.

The invention consists in a rubber masticating machine comprising a horizontal drum or casing with i'eed chute at its upper side, a horizontal rotor or hollow cylinder with thereon a series oi' projecting wedge shaped blades which as the rotor revolves pass through wedge shaped gaps slots or a grid in the latter around the impeller,

a grid or separator above the said slots or g rid to prevent rubber falling on to the impeller from lthe feed chute. and guards to prevent rubber passing directly from said open ends of the rotor.

feed chute into the 'I'he invention further consists in making'each v iixed blade adjustable away fromA and towards the rotor periphery to vary the clearance between the rotor bladesand thexed blade, the latter serving also to remove from the rotor any substantial adhesions oi' rubbe 'I'he invention further consists in revolving the impeller in the opposite direction to the rotor and either or both at an adjustable speed.

Referring to the accompanying sheets cf explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional elevation oi' a rubber masticating machine constructed in one convenient form in accordance with this inventlon.

. Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2 2 ot Figure 1.

The machine comprises an outer casing a which may be suitably Jacketed at b as shown for the circulation of coolant to prevent overheating of the rubber during mastication.

Within the said casing is disposed a cylindrical rotor c carried at its ends by axles d and e. the latter of which is hollow and carries fast and loose pulleys l and a. The rotor cylinder is carried from the axles by spokes h.

Secured to the periphery of the rotor are wedge shaped blades i which, as shown in Figurez. have their leading edges higher than their trailing edges. Cooperating -with such rotor blades is a ilxed blade i which has gaps or slots therein for the passage of the rotor blades with a small clearance. Provision is made (as for example the xed blade j is screws and nuts as shown in Figure 2) for adjusting the xed blade i relatively to the surface of the rotor c in order to adjust the clearance between the rotor blades i and the corresponding gaps or' slots in theixed blade. The blade i is situated at one side of. the bottom of the ifeed chute by which rubber is ted into the machine. The rotor blades i are staggered around the rotor surface as shown so that each gap or slot in passed through a plurality of times during eachrevolution of the rotor. The peripheral'edge of the -rotor comes sumciently close to the bottom edge of the blade i to -preventvany considerable quantity of material being carried round adhering to the rotor periphery.

Within the rotor is disposed a double sided impeller Ic carried by a shaft m iournalled in the rotor axles and driven by the fast pulley n. The rotor has a grid o in its periphery surrounding the impeller k. Any material drawn into the impeller through the open ends of the rotor is delivered through said grid and then subjected to further mastication between the rotor and xed blades i and i respectively. Above the grid o in the rotor is arranged a xed guard or grid p which serves .to prevent solid rubber which is being fed into the machine falling into the impeller. 'I'he grid p comprises bars supported at their opposite ends.

Side plates q prevent solid material dropping from the feed chute r over the ends of the rotor.

Both the rotor c and the impeller 1c may be provided with multi or variable speed drives. The impeller k may revolve in the opposite direction to the rotor c.

A suitable discharge outlet is provided at s.

More than one xed cutter blade j may be provided in the machine.

It is to be noted that this machine produces a solution in contradistinction to a machine for cutting and grinding rubber. The liquid in circulation- (which is fed into the machine through the chute r) enters at the open orremote ends of the cylinder c and passes'out at the center through the grids o and p located adjacent the spaced inner ends ofthe cylinders. There is a vigorous circulation of liquid :from4 the grid o. along the outside of the cylinders c and back through the interior of the cylinders to the impeller Ic. 'Ihe rubber at i'lrst leaves the feed chute r at the side adjacent the ilxed blade j and` is carried around and mixed with the liquid outside the cylinders c. Such liquid carries the rubber with it` in its circulation around and through the cylinders c under the action of the impeller k. The liquid is ultimately discharged through s. It is to be noted that the srid o serves to hold the cylindrical parts c of the cylinder in aligned spaced and i'lxed relation. The blades i are spaced to` give an even action throughout each revolution and this is important in order to insure an even running of the machine.

It will be seen that with our construction of machine, in additionto the masticating action of the blades i and 1, the impeller k sets up a very considerable movement in and circulation of the material under treatment.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for masticating rubber comprising a horizontal casing having a feed chute at its upper side, a rotor in the form of axially spaced inter-connected hollow cylinders supported horizontally within the casing, means for rotat ing said rotor, a series of projecting wedge shaped blades on the outer periphery of each of the cylinders of the rotor. at least one fixed blade extending from side to side of the casina parallel to the rotor axis and adjacent to the`periphery thereof and havingv wedge shaped gaps through g5 which the wedge shaped blades pass on the rotation of the rotor. a double sided centrifugal impeller supported co-axially within the rotor between the spaced cylinders thereof, means for s rotating said impeller. a grid located in the feed chute above the spaced cylinders and the irnpeller to prevent rubber falling on to the impeller from the feed chute. and guards to prevent rub ber passing directly from said leed chute into lo the open ends of the cylinders of the rotor.

is rotary blades and the xed blade. the latter serving also to remove from the rotor any substantial adhesions or rubber.

3. A rubber masticating machine as claimed in claim 1, in which a cylindrical grid is provided zo and is located about theim`peller and rlxed to the adjacent open ends o! the cylinders of the rotor to form a means for maintaining the said cylinders in axially spaced relation.

NORMAN WAYLAND LOUSLEY. 

